Autódromo de Sitges-Terramar – Sant Pere de Ribes, Spain - Atlas Obscura

AutĂłdromo de Sitges-Terramar

Sant Pere de Ribes, Spain

This abandoned racetrack looks like it is set to hold competitions in the apocalypse. 

22
101

The Roaring Twenties were the last time the Sitges-Terramar race track heard the roar of engines. It opened on the 28th of October 1923, but a failure to pay the construction workers for an unforeseen overrun in construction costs, led to them seizing the money that was taken at the gate, and left the organizers with no money to pay the drivers. 

This disastrous inauguration, led to an immediate ban on the track hosting international events and while a few local automobile clubs held a few races here, they were unsuccessful, and the track was closed by 1925.  

The track has changed hands a few more times over the years, and despite a short lived revival in the 1950s, it has long served as a chicken farm and a place to graze sheep.

The Autodrome has seen no structural intervention in the last 90 years, but has held up incredibly well, testament to the quality of its original construction. In fact, despite its degradation, Red Bull sponsored a circuit as a showpiece in 2012. 

Today, the track can be viewed from the road, surrounding hills and footpaths. It’s overgrown, banking corners reminiscent of dams that have long since cracked and displaced their water. It is rumored that the current owner is seeking funding to repair and reinstate the Autodrome, but only time will tell.

Know Before You Go

This is private land; access is restricted, and the venue is fenced off. It can be viewed in parts from the C-246a between Sitges and Villanova, behind the Rocamar Urbanisation.

In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web